Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warnings:
Categories:
Fandoms:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2021-01-28
Updated:
2022-03-29
Words:
20,744
Chapters:
6/?
Comments:
56
Kudos:
185
Bookmarks:
57
Hits:
5,042

Lilies Amidst Snow

Chapter 4: The Ghost Bride

Summary:

The Yunmeng Trio recieve their swords, and Madam Yu brings them onto a small journey where Wei Ying learns some things about his sires family.

(Sire in this case used to describe female Alpha's that sired the children rather than giving birth to them)

He also meets Lan Zhan!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

With the beautiful sheen of swords being presented to their masters, Wei Ying touches his sword carefully. It was beautiful, sleek, made for swift movements, clean cuts, it was a sword made for speed and grace. It fit his fighting style perfectly as he was not one to boast strength. He had been thinking of names all day for his sword, but nothing had come to mind.

 

Jiang Cheng’s sword was a bit broader than his own, made for overpowering others rather than dodging attacks.

 

“What do you wish to name your swords?” Jiang Fengmian inquires as he steps forward with a soft smile. He put a reassuring hand on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder and gave Wei Ying a reassuring look. He wanted them both to know that he was going to support both of them now. To love them both equally.

 

“Sandu!” Jiang Cheng exclaims happily, both of his siblings look at him like he grew another head. Three poisons? Honestly, they weren’t surprised. Both seemed to shake their heads fondly at him before Jiang Yanli glanced at Wei Ying.

 

“So what will you name it?” Jiang Yanli asks Wei Ying.

 

“I don’t know, just name it whatever,” Wei Ying says with a nonchalant tone. He really didn’t know so he was thinking perhaps Jiang Fengmian could think of a suitable name.

 

But apparently, the sword seemed to think that ‘whatever’ was a suitable name. Both Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying’s swords glowed blue. Then both drew their blades just enough to see the engraving of the names.

 

Jiang Cheng’s sword had the engraved ‘Sandu.’ On it which made him very happy and he smirked down at his sword.

 

As soon as Wei Ying saw ‘Suibian’ he keeled over in laughter. Which drew the attention of his family.

 

“Hmm?” Jiang Fengmian said as he looked down at the sword that fell from its master's hands. As soon as he did he too started to have a fit of laughter.

 

Soon enough all four of them were letting out uncontrollable laughter. Suibian?! What a foolish name!

 

Eventually, they calm down enough and all of them are huffing in-breaths trying to get their lungs to work again after laughing so hard.

 

“We have to retrieve your new robes, then we’ll head back to Lotus Pier, I’ll even let you fly a few miles,” Jiang Fengmian says as he directs them outside again.

 

“Alright let’s get our robes so we can go home then!” Jiang Cheng says as he grabs onto his sibling's arms and pulls them out the door. He just wanted to fly on his new sword. He was really excited. So much he even managed to ignore the instincts that screamed at him to cuddle up to his siblings and hide away from all these new scents and senses.

 

Soon enough the group was on their way home Jiang Fengmian pulling a wagon full of clothes, just a few sets of robes were currently available but for cultivators, it was enough to last them a few weeks. The formal robes were still yet to be finished and it would take a few months. They also were going to send some slightly bigger robes for when the children grew.

 

All in all the trip was worthwhile for the whole family. Jiang Fengmian got to spend time with his children and his children got to learn more about their father.

 

They also learned a bit about Wei Ying’s biological parents as the older man told stories about the two. He also told stories about people they’ve only heard of. Like how Lan Qiren and Jin Cuifen first met.

 

The first thing Lan Qiren did was insult her etiquette, which led to a big fight between the two which led to Lan Qiren being scolded by the elders and he blamed Jin Cuifen for it. Apparently, over time their relationship got better to the point Jiang Fengmian swears they are in love.

 

There was another story about how Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze ended up in a net together for hours. Surprisingly, it was Yu Ziyuan’s idea! The women decided to play matchmaker and them happening to randomly being stuck together made them reveal their feelings for each other. Jiang Fengmian was a bit appalled because it was his baby Omegan brother that was stuck alone with an Alpha for several hours even if the woman was a friend of his he got upset at everyone present for the first time ever. Because his brother's ‘chastity’ was on the line and he didn’t want any Alpha to ‘take away my little brother's virginity' which was kind of awkward to bring up but he was right.

 

Then the only one that managed to stop him from going into a rage was Yu Ziyuan surprisingly. Then he ended up crying like a baby in front of everyone present. It was a very touching story.

 

As they spent days traveling Jiang Fengmian kept telling his children stories about his teenage years and they all hoped they’d be able to make just as many memorable relationships as their parents had.

 

Finally, when they were ten miles from home Jiang Fengmian stopped tied up the horses to the back of the wagon the children had already hopped onto their swords and were off.

 

Oh well, he’d see them when he got home after all he couldn’t just leave the horses out there. As much as he kind of wanted to see his children on their swords for the first time. (Jiang Yanli that sweetheart waited till her brothers got their swords to fly.)

 


 

Yu Ziyuan was eating the dinner provided for her in the main family's dining area. She sat with her legs folded under her onto her pillow and sipped her tea gratefully. It was quiet, peaceful. Something she hasn’t experienced in almost fifteen years.

 

It was all interrupted by the sound of the doors being smashed through and she looked up to see her two sons sprawled on the floor swords by their sides. She looked unamused at the pair.

 

“A-Xian, A-Cheng get off the floor…” She was very very tired.

 

Both of them hop onto their feet immediately and grimace for a moment in pain.

 

“Go sit outside in the courtyard for a few hours, you need to think about everything you’ve done wrong….” Yu Ziyuan orders and both boys run off down the halls.

 

By the time they came back, it was dinner time and Jiang Fengmian was already home chatting softly to his wife and Jiang Yanli sat at the table seeming a bit awkward without her brothers.

 

Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying walk into the hall shivering furiously. Jiang Cheng even sneezed before he had managed to walk up to the table.

 

Yu Ziyuan sighs, she didn’t want her boys to stay out there till they got a cold. She holds up a hand so her husband quiets.

 

“For the love of the gods, why did you stay out in the rain?”

 

“Well, A-Niang, if you must know me and A-Xian wrestled in the mud,” Jiang Cheng spits out venomously as he glares at his brother.

 

“Jiang Cheng!” Wei Ying yells. “It was your fault! You kept trying to cuddle up to me!”

 

“I was cold! What was I supposed to do, freeze to death?!” Jiang Cheng yells right back

 

Wei Ying huffs back in anger.

 

“A-Xian, A-Cheng, that’s enough, calm down, A-Niang is going to discuss something important so you should listen and eat,” Jiang Yanli says sternly.

 

“Mhm, you should listen to A-Li,” Yu Ziyuan says fondly as she looks to her daughter.

 

Jiang Fengmian almost spits out his tea at his wife’s soft tones. He didn’t know she could be such a softy till recently. He liked it. Perhaps he’ll have to discuss having another child. Their first one that’s not just an obligation.

 

“Stop looking at me like that,” Yu Ziyuan says blushing furiously.

 

The three siblings make a disgusting noise in the back of their throats before they quiet at a glare from Yu Ziyuan.

 

“Do you want to hear what I have to say or not you little brats?!” Yu Ziyuan yells trying to cover her embarrassment with anger.

 

After a few moments of the room detensing. Which was very much a word.

 

Yu Ziyuan goes into a story, one that has been a legend for the last few hundred years.

 

“This particular story all revolves around a legend, a legend about a gentle maiden that earned the hand of a god. The god was so enamored by her beauty, strength, and kindness that he offered to court her and she agreed.

 

“He looked far and wide for gifts across the land for his soon-to-be wife. She accepted all gifts even the most meager as her most beautiful treasures.

 

“The god gave an amulet to his wife when they married, an amulet that granted her the strength of a god, along with the immortality of one. As long as she wore the necklace she would never grow old.

 

“Soon a hundred years had passed and his wife who was worshipped by many was slain, they say someone was so jealous of her power that they had stabbed her through. The god wept for his lover, and confined himself to the bottom of a lake, never wishing to wake from slumber now that his wife had passed away. He could never join her.

 

“They say that she was so angry at being killed for her power, and they say she walks the lands and curses the living, for hurting others. If she sees someone to bear a crime of murder or if they cheat on their lover she will kill them if they cross her path. She seems to know the targets for those who go missing one learns of their schemes. Some say she is Lady Fate herself. Karma in human-form. The tale of the Ghost Bride has been seen as nothing but legend but recently there were incidents around a particular village.

 

“I believe the Ghost Bride might be involved,” Yu Ziyuan says then takes a sip of her tea to water down her throat.

 

“Are you sure we should be the ones to handle this?” Wei Ying asks. “We are young disciples…”

 

“You are also smart disciples, I also think this isn’t so much of how fast we can tear down the fierce corpses because it won’t matter, we need to face the Ghost Bride herself, that is the only way to stop this.” Yu Ziyuan says firmly to her son, she didn’t want him to downplay his abilities, they were trained in the art of the sword, specifically their Sect’s style. They would be fine, even if it was their first real Night Hunt.

 

“If you insist we can handle such a challenge, then, we have no reason to doubt you, A-Niang,” Jiang Yanli says surely.

 

Jiang Cheng was silent, he didn’t seem like he was going to say anything about the matter, like everything that was said, was what he must have been thinking as well, but he shifted over to Wei Ying’s side.

 

“Now off to bed you three, tomorrow will be a big day,” Yu Ziyuan says, she even flashes a soft smile to her babies and the three get up and run down the hall like she was chasing them with Zidian.

 

“Now, what was going through my husband's head earlier,” Yu Ziyuan says with a sultry smile she never thought she’d direct towards her husband.

 

“I was thinking perhaps we should give our children another sibling, so what do you say, my lady?” Jiang Fengmian gave his wife a hot look.

 

“Hmm, perhaps but you’ll have to carry this fragile old woman to bed,” she says almost dramatically. In moments like these she missed Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren’s teasing remarks, if they saw her acting like this they’d never believe their eyes.

 

“This can be arranged,” Jiang Fengmian says as he took his wife into his arms.

 

Wei Ying threw up silencing charms without even thinking, he was old enough to know adult matters and he didn’t want to know some things. He still wished to keep his innocence, thank you very much. He never thought he’d see the day those two got mushy though!

 


 

It was the next morning and the trio was already dressed for the day swords at their sides. They were wearing their new robes, Jiang Cheng’s were clean-cut and giving off an intimidating vibe surprising for such a young boy. Dark purple robes cloaked in black at the edges, it blended so well that it was difficult to notice the intricate but very Alpha-like designs. The effect of the intimidating aura immediately dissipated because of soft baby cheeks and the fact the boy himself held a fistful of his brother's robes.

 

Said brother’s robes were black and red with a bit of light gray mix that was hard to notice. The red color was shaped in flames. The Yiling Laozu himself long before he earned his title.

 

Jiang Yanli wore elegant but simple robes, her soft pink robes had black lotus’s along the edges, the black was more like a dark brown and the lotus patterns just fit.

 

There was no questioning the status of the three in front of them. They all had clarity bells wrapped around the sashes at their waists along with their swords.

 

Yu Ziyuan was dressed in her usual attire except unlike usual she wasn’t wearing her hair done up. The hair ornaments she usually worn gone and replaced by a beautiful lotus hairpin to hold up her hair. Sword by her side she smiled softly at her children nodding approvingly.

 

“We will be taking ten disciples with us and Jinzhu will be by your sides at all times, Yinzhu is staying behind to attend to my matters,” she explains as she leads them to the courtyard where the disciples were waiting Jinzhu must have already been off to where they were going.

 

They get onto their swords and follow Yu Ziyuan as she leads them through Yunmeng. They stop at a small village surrounded by woods.

 

“This is Luoxia,” Yu Ziyuan explains. “We will be staying in an inn here and going out later tonight to search for clues. I want three disciples to walk around the village and ask people questions about the occurrences.” The disciples glance between each other and then seem to conclude. Three disciples come forward and bow to her before they go off to do the job they were assigned.’

 

Yu Ziyuan gestures her children forward and has Jiang Yanli walk to her left side and she keeps Wei Ying pinned to her right side. Jiang Cheng clung to Wei Ying’s robes like he’s been doing whenever they’ve been on the ground.

 

“We’ll rest up, then we’ll be going into the woods, I want you to either stay with me or Jinzhu the entire time, no wandering off!” Yu Ziyuan sets down ground rules that her children will listen to, or else she’ll chase them all down with Zidian till they behave.

 

“Yes, A-Niang,” their voices echo back. Though Jiang Cheng’s sounds more like a grumble.

 

They head to the inn and after a day's rest the family goes out to search.

 

It was a few hours in when things went hectic. They were close to Yiling when a hoard of fierce corpses attacked them. They had to back off and decided to check the perimeter.

 

For weeks this went on, fighting and battling fierce corpses to try to find the one controlling them. Until one moonlit night, a beautiful woman in white with untamed dark brown hair, face painted in makeup and a black amulet resting on her neck. She stepped forward, the fierce corpses parting around her.

 

“Why do you disturb my rest, mortals?” She asks calmly.

 

“You are terrorizing the villagers, you must leave,” Yu Ziyuan says as she takes a step towards the woman to face her head-on.

 

“I am only protecting where my husband lies, after the death of our child, who was killed by humans out of greed. He has been grieving. Well, I have been enraged, I wish for nothing more than to pay the mortals back tenfold for what they have given me, those innocent do not deserve my mistreatment..

 

“So tell me what are your names? You seek me out with no ill intent,” the woman in white says.

 

“My name is Yu Ziyuan, and these are my children, Jiang Yanli, Wei Ying, and Jiang Cheng,” she offers their names in order of their ages.

 

“Wei Ying? He is the child of Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze correct?” The kind woman asks. “I am Meihui Sanren, her sister, and the daughter of Wen Mao and Baoshen Sanren, perhaps I can offer closure…”

 

“Are my parents alive?” Wei Ying asks hopefully.

 

“My sister Cangse Sanren is alive, but...she is in a deep sleep and won’t be able to wake for many years, in all rights and purposes she is technically not here,” Meihui explains.

 

“But, I’ll be able to see her again?” Wei Ying asks hopefully.

 

“You likely will, but it all depends on how long you live, she could be asleep for hundreds of years, we are immortals, and you may have immortal blood in your veins but it was tainted by the blood of a mortal,” she explains. “I cannot guarantee you will see her, even though you’re a cultivator achieving immortality is more than just being a cultivator.”

 

“Then I will cultivate to immortality!” He says sure.

 

“If that is my nephew's wish then he can do as he pleases,” she says with a soft smile.

 

Yu Ziyuan makes an ‘ahem’ sound and moves forward going between Wei Ying and the strange woman.

 

“Why are there so many fierce corpses?” She asks curtly, straight to the point.

 

“They are protecting Cangse Sanren per my orders,” Meihui explains crossing her arms.

 

“Why are they listening to you?” Yu Ziyuan says with a glare.

 

“Because of my necklace, it was embedded with great power, a gift from my husband, over the years the resentful energy had gathered into the amulet giving it different abilities than what it had before,” the beautiful woman turns to look at the sky and closes her eyes. “It has been fifty years since I lost my firstborn son. Fifty years since my husband had gone into a deep sleep at the bottom of Laoxia Lake. My husband has yet to awaken, and I will guard both him and my sister until they are free again, free from the grief which makes them slumber. I could not grieve in such a way for my lost child, the child I bore. For I have a greater duty which is to protect what is left of my family.”

 

Yu Ziyuan’s eyes softened a bit at this, understanding resting in her gaze.

 

“I understand, your family has been broken apart and you wish to do what you can, but this needs to stop you are terrorizing the mortals!”

 

“I cannot stop, until my husband is awake,” Meihui says fiercely as she takes an aggressive step forward.

 

“Then we will wake your husband!” Yu Ziyuan says with a challenging glare.

 

“Wake him! Are you mad?!” The woman demands. “He is a god and this is blatant disrespect!”

 

“Then so be it! Allow your husband to try to take wrath on my family! But I will not rest until you put an end to this!”

 

“Fine, do as you wilt!” Meihui says as she turns her back on those present. “If you succeed I will give you the necklace I wear, and if you fail. I shall banish you from these forests!”

 

“It is a deal then,” Yu Ziyuan says as she leads her children back to the town. The weeks had left them all very tired and now with more conclusion, they decide to take a day to rest before they head to Laoxia Lake. To raise a god from his slumber.

 


 

The next morning the family got ready, Yu Ziyuan did her children’s hair for them and Jiang Yanli did her mother’s hair.

 

Yu Ziyuan honestly didn’t know what to do with the knowledge Cangse Sanren was alive...she was well almost disappointed. Because she always wanted to be Wei Ying’s mother and the thought of him not being her son, stabbed her through. She knew it was irrational...but it haunted her.

 

“Now let us head to Laoxia Lake…” Yu Ziyuan orders as she leads her children out to where Jinzhu was waiting with the disciples.

 

“We’re going to put a defensive array around the perimeter, before we try anything, we won’t leave or rest until that god is awake to solve our problems,” Yu Ziyuan orders Zidian unraveled into whip form by her side. She must have been in a bit of a mood.

 

They moved towards the lake and the air was tense around them. When they arrived Yu Ziyuan and Jinzhu took care of the defensive array as the disciples got into a kneeling bow, a god was about to be awakened after all. They had to pray for their lives.

 

Yu Ziyuan had her children stand behind her and Jinzhu stood by her right side. She then took out Zidian and summoned every ounce of spiritual energy she could muster to send a bolt of lightning through the water. The sky darkened in an instant. Then in a flash, a man stood in white robes, black hair cascaded down his back. His eyes were a dark blue like the color of the ocean. His skin was pale like he hadn’t seen an ounce of sun in ages.

 

“Who dares to awaken me?” His voice echoed with power as he stood on the water's surface. If one were to pay close attention they would notice the dark blue scales that clung to his skin like exquisite jewelry. Along with an irritated swish of a dragonic tail under his bundle of white robes.

 

“My name is Yu Ziyuan, and I have come to you to ask for you to see your wife, she requires her husband. She has nothing left and has turned towards resentment to get revenge for your child,” she bows to the god before her.

 

His face seems to soften at the mention of his wife but he does not speak.

 

“Please, return to your wife, she has not been able to properly grieve as she should for her child...please,” Wei Ying begs. “You know I kind of just learned that she was my ayi..” he says hoping to get through to his uncle.

 

“I didn’t know that one of my wife’s siblings had a child, so I apologize that I couldn’t be a better uncle. It seems strange...I never thought I could have a family after I became a god.” The man says as he walks forward across the surface of the water.

 

“When I was a mortal, my name was Wu Zhuang, though now the mortals only know me as Longwang, please call me Gufu, young one.”

 

“Then Gufu, must call this one A-Ying,” Wei Ying says with a big smile.

 

Wu Zhuang walks forward and everyone besides Wei Ying bows respectively. When Wei Ying tries to, his uncle brings his hand to his shoulder, stopping him. “None of that, A-Ying. Now if you will, I would like to see my wife. We haven’t talked in a long time.”

 

Yu Ziyuan doesn’t move out of her bow, it’s one thing to act a tad disrespectful to a god but not to the Longwang. He was a very important god in cultivation history as the one that showed humans how to cultivate in the first place so they could learn to protect themselves. He was also the first god to offer immortality to the mortals. Now gods were mortals too, yes? The difference was god's received worshipping to become gods in the first place. Well, immortals worked for their immortality or are granted it by their own power of their golden cores. The only two differences between gods and immortals were the fact some gods were far more powerful than the average immortal and the fact they had worshippers.

 

“Will you show me to my wife or must I find her on my own?” The god asked in a teasing tone and a soft smile.

 

Yu Ziyuan immediately straightened up, “I apologize, Longwang.”

 

He sighed like the title was a nuisance, “Perhaps you can stop being so stiff and just call me Wu Zhuang…”

 

Yu Ziyuan looks horrified at the offer and she receives a sigh in response and he just gestures to her to move. Which she does albeit looking like she saw a ghost as she leads the group of disciples, her children, and her maid through the village. A god following right behind them like he belongs.

 

Finally, after several hours of walking, they reached the spot they were at last night, and the woman in white from before approached to stand before them. The god pushes his way through the crowd then takes his shocked wife in his arms.

 

“A-Hui I missed you so!” He says with a bright grin as he places kisses all over her face.

 

“Is it really you? A-Zhu?” She asks breathlessly.

 

“It’s me, it’s me,” he says into her hair as he holds her close.

 

Their onlookers just watch in shock. They don’t dare interrupt. I mean interrupting a god is worse than interrupting an emperor.

 

“Thank you, for bringing my husband home,” Meihui says with a bright smile that was so warmingly familiar.

 

Yu Ziyuan smiles softly as she walks forward and bows to her.

 

The woman then takes off her necklace and walks forward tying the amulet to her nephew's neck and hugging Wei Ying.

 

“A-Ying, this shall be yours, I will bring gifts for your siblings in a few months, I have to bring your mother to your grandmother's mountain. Me and my husband will then visit and we will shower you with gifts as thanks.” Meihui says softly to him and then she steps away, takes her husband's hand into her own and both of them bow gratefully saying their goodbyes, and then they disappear right before their eyes.

 

It was a job well done, a legend was unraveled and the truth was revealed. Wei Ying also got more family, his siblings got a few answers about their brother. Yu Ziyuan got a new friend and perhaps they also had great allies.

 

The family heads home with a grateful air about them. The uncertain future was far from their minds, to them all that mattered was the present as they stayed arm and arm as a family should.

 


 

The group arrived home three days later, greeted with some very unfortunate news.

 

“Our guests will be arriving tonight,” Yinzhu says to Yu Ziyuan as soon as she entered Lotus Pier.

 

“I’m sorry that you had to prepare for their arrival all on your own,” Yu Ziyuan says as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Nothing ever turns out how one expects.

 

“It is not a trouble, Madam Yu,” Yinzhu reassures her mistress.

 

“Still, we need to prepare the banquet for our guests, I’ll handle the rooms of the prominent Sects who will be staying here. It is the first time we’ve held one of these guest lectures in a while,” Yu Ziyuan says then she nods and leaves the five alone, though quickly Yinzhu and Jinzhu excuse themselves each offering a proper bow to the young masters and mistress.

 

The three head back to their room and when they enter Jiang Yanli leans against the wall and opens her sleeve and a beautiful pink butterfly appears peeling off from her skin. The butterfly flies out down the halls to wait for any news that will go straight to her. The butterflies were basically in tune to their minds so they could control them and also see and hear what they do if they so wished. It was a bit complicated but it helped a lot.

 

“Rest, I’ll wake you up and then we’ll get ready for the banquet,” she says after making her brothers rest with their heads in her lap and curled up on the bed. She rested her head back on a pillow and rested too. But she knew she’d awaken as soon as her butterfly spotted something.

 

The moment that she woke she heard the news that filtered into her mind, the QishanWen Sect arrived, which meant the rest of the other families would be arriving shortly, QingheNie most likely, and then GusuLan, LanlingJin would be the last as the Sect farthest from them.

 

So with that she woke up her sleeping didi’s and dragged them to the baths, bathing them and speaking quietly so she didn’t upset their sleepy selves. After her brothers were bathed and dressed she forced them out of the room after slapping a cold wet towel onto their faces so that they woke up with a squeal and hurried out. They were in their formal purple robes along with hair ornaments adorning their heads. For Wei Ying, he wore a very expensive lotus hairpin with his hair pulled up into a braided bun at the back of his head. He looked almost like a young mistress. Well, Jiang Cheng was given a top knot with a hairpin to hold it in place. She was very satisfied with her work and after she finished bathing she’d meet her brothers out at the banquet but for now, she breathes out a soft sigh of content as she settles into the bath.

 


 

Wei Ying walked through the halls until he reached one of the many courtyards that held a small lotus pond, he looked out to find that someone was already sitting at the docks. His breath caught in his throat in an unfamiliar way when he saw the moonlight reflect off of pure white robes. He stepped forward almost in a daze as he came out to face the person in white.

 

The person in question was his age and as soon as the wood creaked under his weight they instantly turned him. He met the face of a boy who looked as if he was carved from jade. He held no visible expression on his face but if one looked into his eyes closely they’d see the surprise.

 

“Haha, I hadn’t expected a young master to be out here, what is your name?” Wei Ying asks, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

 

“Lan Zhan, courtesy Lan Wangji,” he greets with a customary bow of greeting.

 

“My name is Wei Ying! Courtesy Wei Wuxian!” Wei Ying greets happily with a bright smile to the boy.

 

The boy simply nods in acknowledgment.

 

“The lotus pond is very beautiful! Wouldn’t you agree, Lan Wangji?” Wei Ying says with a soft smile.

 

Lan Wangji agrees with a nod, but he still doesn’t say anything.

 

“Perhaps we should head back, the banquet is about to start,” Wei Ying offers, still smiling.

 

“Mn,” he hears in reply and it makes butterflies dance happily in his stomach.

 

He chats on to Lan Wangji as they walk to the dining hall, made specifically for these types of occasions. The two entered the large room where food was placed and many people were already seated. Lan Wangji parts from Wei Ying’s side and Wei Ying skips over to his siblings and parents. Sitting beside them, at his purple cushion with his legs under him he leaned onto his jiejie for a moment breathing in her comforting scent before he sat up straight to glance around the halls.

 

Sect Leader Nie sat at his Sect’s designated seating with his two sons sitting on either side of him. Along with two disciples that were given the honor to sit with them. Next to the Nie’s were the Jin’s on one side and the Wen’s on the other. The Jin’s sat with Jin Guangshan in the center his wife sat next to him and two children sat beside her, two disciples sat between the Nie’s and Jin Guangshan to try to make him look just as intimidating and respectable as Sect Leader Nie.

 

The Wen sat with Wen Ruohan in the center, his two sons on both sides of him and two children his age sitting side by side to the side of his youngest son. They didn’t have any disciples with them. Probably cause they didn’t find a need to look more intimidating than they already were.

 

The Gusu Sect sat across from the Wen’s with Lan Jianyu, best known as Qingheng-jun, and his wife sitting in the center with his brother to the left of him. Then to the right of Madam Lan sat her two children and to the right of her eldest son sat a young teenager that looked more like a prince than a Gusu Lan disciple. Actually, scratch that he most likely was the Crown Prince.

 

The Jiang’s who were across from the Nie’s were seated properly but there were empty seats right next to Wei Ying. He didn’t know who else they were expecting but that would soon change.

 

Then the doors opened loudly and in marched a group of regal people that wore peach pink robes and entered with the dignity that could only be shown in an immortal. The man that leads the group has cascading black locks and beautiful golden eyes. A forehead ribbon fluttering behind him. Behind him was a man that had a vermillion mark on his head and his golden hair bound up into a topknot on his head. His eyes were deep chocolate brown. Then on the other side of the man walked a beautiful woman with dark brown hair and stormy green eyes.

 

Following behind the three was a man that had a white blindfold covering his eyes, and two women. One woman held a regal almost inhuman air about her and she had beautiful dark brown hair and gray eyes. Well the girl beside her wore the GusuLan robes, along with the Lan Clan’s forehead ribbon. 



They stopped before their respective seats and it seemed the woman with the inhuman air about her was to sit next to Wei Ying, with the man with the white blindfold beside her. Then next to him the man that had led the group, then to the far of that man was the golden-haired man and the beautiful woman was on the far edge. They faced the Jin’s and bowed to all present, but only so much as was respectful.

 

The man in the center cleared his throat, “My name is Lan Chao, it is an honor to see all of our major Sects gathered, I have guests from the mountains and my companions wish to introduce themselves.”

 

He gestured for the man with golden hair to greet himself first.

 

“My name is Jin Suang, it is my honor to stand before you all, my greatest pleasure is to be here sitting across from my didi again, as a fellow Sect Leader,” he says with a grin which makes Wei Ying almost want to laugh. He was being very passive-aggressive

 

“I,” the young woman begins next to him allowing silence to hang in the air, “Am Wen Mingyu and it is an honor to face my father again after being tossed out for disgrace upon my sect.” Her face was steel but her eyes held rage and a hint of mirth if one looked closely.

 

The man in the blindfold just smiled softly, not as passive-aggressive as the others, “I am Xiao Xingcheng.”

 

The beautiful woman near Wei Ying looks calculatedly around the table, “I am Baoshen Sanren, it is an honor for this immortal to attend such a frivolous affair.” Really you could cut the tension with a knife and it would probably break.

 

“This one is named Lan Huian,” the younger girl says, the tension dissipating. “It is an honor for this one to attend an event such as this.” She bowed and took her seat next to Wen Mingyu. 

 

It was only till after everyone was seated and the tension had settled that Wei Ying realized who exactly was sitting right next to him.

Notes:

I had a lot of fun working on this chapter and it's twice as long as the last few chapters. Please give me love! It keeps me going! Also the reason there are so many OC's is more plot-related than anything so don't mind them!

The group at the end is mainly the Zuanshi Sect, which is a Sect of Omegas. Everyone in the group are Omega's. Their significance will be better explained in the next chapter. Stay tuned!